Chapter 4

Question 1

Define a process

Answer 1

Process refers to the methodology used to produce a good or service that may be profitably supplied to consumers.

Question 2

Name the types of process structure of manufacturing.

Answer 2

1. Continuous flow process
2. Assembly process
3. Batch process
4. Job Shop process

Question 3

What are the characteristics of a continuous flow process?

Answer 3

1. One product flows through the process at any one time.
2. Capital investments in this case are very high.
3. Production line cannot be changed without huge losses in the production.
4. Has high volume and no variation.

Question 4

What are the characteristics of assemble process?

Answer 4

1. Has high volumes and minimal variation.
2. One type of a product in a straight-line configuration.
3. The skills required in this process are very low, due to machine operators.

Question 5

What are the characteristics of batch process?

Answer 5

1. Has high volume and some variations.
2. Each batch is completed before another batch is started.
   The skills required for the batch process are lower than the job-shop process.

Question 6

What are the characteristics of the job-shop process?

Answer 6

1. Has low volume and high variation.
2. Assets/equipments are arranged around the process.
3. Labour and machinery have significant levels of elasticity.

Question 7

What are the strategies of manufacturing process?

Answer 7

1. Make to order strategy.
2. Assemble to order strategy.
3. Make to stock strategy.

Question 8

What are the characteristics of make to order strategy?

Answer 8

1. This strategy is preferred by the batch process and job shop process where there is a low volume of products being produced.
2. There is a high level of product customization.

E.g building an expensive house.

Question 9

What are the characteristics of assemble to order strategy?

Answer 9

1. Small number of components are used to produce a large diversity of products.
2. The assemble process begins once an order has been received.
   E.g paint shop

Question 10

What are the characteristics of make to stock strategy?

Answer 10

1. Large inventories of products are available in anticipation of customer orders.
2. Can satisfy a large number of customers in a short period of time.

Question 11

What are the process structure of service process?

Answer 11

1. Professional service process.
2. Service shop process.
3. Mass service process

Question 12

What are the characteristics of professional service process?

Answer 12

1. Great variation of services with low volumes.
2. Focuses on people more than equipment.
3. Highly custom-made.
   E.g contracts between businesses by an attorney.

Question 13

What are the characteristics of service shop process?

Answer 13

1. Fairly high volumes of customers.
2. There is a fair amount of customer interaction.
3. It is highly standarized services.
   E.g application for a loan at bank.

Question 14

What are the characteristics of mass service?

Answer 14

1. This process mostly uses equipment and machinery to produce the output
2. There is a large number of client dealings.

Question 15

Calculate productivity.

Answer 15

Units produced/ Input used.

Question 16

Calculate efficiency.

Answer 16

Actual output/ design production rate x 100